Gorira
by Cab DavidsonThe mysterious and mountainous island of Zyxl is home to a species of intelligent primate, the Gorira. They are a spiritual, devout race devoted to (what they believe to be) balance in all things.
Gorira are dark furred, greying with age, standing up to 5’9” tall and weighting anything up to 550lb. While capable of walking on two legs they prefer to also spread their bulk on to their knuckles, being as well muscled on their arms as their legs. They inhabit the seemingly endless forests on the lower slopes of the mountains that dominate Zyxl, and they are the most numerous sentient race living there. They tend the woodlands to maximise the production of edible leaves, roots, fruit and shoots, which makes up almost all of their diet, with some seaweed and shellfish being gathered around the coasts. Trading vessels from Tangor, Minea and far distant Bellisaria call in to the sheltered bays of Zyxl and trade for fine woods, spices, and particularly for the high quality pottery that goriras patiently produce. In return, the gorira import metals and other worked goods.
The gorira believe in balance between the four positive spheres and each other, and collectively the four positive spheres and entropy. As such, their morality sometimes seems calm but strange. Gorira revere their ancestors, the land, the air, the ocean and the elemental force of fire, but they also revere the process of death, essentially engendering a largely pacifistic philosophy among them.
They are however not defenceless. Their great bulk makes them dangerous, and they acknowledge that part of a balanced world view is to be prepared to strike, with force, to maintain that balance where it is threatened. Thus they maintain an armed force of noble, independent minded warriors who are afforded certain rights and privileges over other gorira, enacting the moral will of the immortals as they and the druids see it to be.
Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 25% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +4, Int: -2, Wis: -2, Dex: 0, Con: +2. Cha: -2
Special Abilities: Gorira can attack using their natural attacks, inflicting 1d6 with each fist, and 1d8 with their bight attack. They may also wrestle a foe while making first attacks – if both firsts hit they may make an (opposed) wrestling check with their foe, if they choose, allowing them to simultaneously punch and grapple a foe in the same round. If attacking an armed for, that foe may make a wrestling check to avoid this effect, but they do not gain any initiative or hit bonus to attack the gorira with a weapon that round.
While gorira are usually a model of serene calmness, they can be utterly terrifying if they choose to be. They gain the intimidation general skill, in addition to any others known, for free.
Character Class: They may be of any class available to humans, but there are no known gorira merchants. Clerics tend towards following Ka, Valerias, Nyx, Kootiku, Djaea and Protius, but through a lens of ancestor and spirit worship many other immortals are known and followed.
Hit Dice: Characters use two higher higher hit dice than their class typically does, and gain an extra hit dice at first level. For example, a firs level thief used d8 for hit points, and begins with 2d8hp at first level, whereas a fighter uses d12 for hit points and begins with 2d12.
Movement and Encumbrance: Gorira are not arboreal, and while they may climb they typically do so slowly and carefully, barely any better than humans do. Their great size and weight also means that they must be very selective in their choice of what to climb. On the ground, they move at a standard speed of 120’(40’). While they typically have little need to, they are also to carry huge burdens, having double the available encumbrance that humans have for each speed category.
Languages: Their own language has both a spoken form, rather similar to whispers interspersed with sounds of fists beaten on their chest, and a sign language form. They can usually speak the local human language, most often Tanogoro.
Weapons and Armour: While gorira may use any armour or weapon permitted to their class, the possession of armour is only known among the warrior caste in their society, and little is produced domestically. Owing to their size, the cost and encumbrance of armour made to fit them is double that of normal armour.
